A most distinctive and distinguished shrub. The flowers are most pleasingly unusual in both colour and scent. It should be more widely planted.

Theresa Schrum

Location:Suwanee, GA, USA

I ditto those sentiments. This native shrub isn't used nearly enough. Grows in sun, shade, good or bad soil. Drought tolerant and deer resistant.

Hunter Adamson

Location:Moravian Falls, NC, USA

Mine have been in bloom for a couple of weeks (May 2008) and add a wonderful fragrance to the entire front yard. hunteradamson@aol.com

frances

Location:campbellsville, ky

I have been looking for this plant for YEARS.
My granny had one beside her log cabin home, I remember taking flowers to put under my pillow at night. I was horrified when my brother had the bush yanked up after granny died, and have never been able to remember the name of it, granny told me when I was young.
I am so glad I found this page and now know the name of the bush, now maybe I can find it to buy.
THANK YOU

H baxter

Location:Athens, GA

This is better then the tea tree! It smells so good! I just love this plant!

Larry

Location:Clinton, MS

My mother had two large plants when I was a child, and they smelled wonderfully like ripe apples. I have not been able to find one in central Mississippi, so I e-mailed Felder Rushing, who recently retired from the Mississippi State Extension Service as the state's leading consumer horticulturist, and he responded about where to find a calycnathus plant as follows: Calycanthus (also called sweet shrub) is a native woodland plant that is hard to find in garden centers because it doesn't look like much in a pot so not a lot of people buy it, but it roots very easily, so if you find one, get cuttings. It is best rooted in late fall or winter but can root in the summer if you have bright indirect light and keep the humidity high (a plastic tent over the cuttings until they root). Not all smell equally strong, so it is best to find one that does smell, and root that one. If you go to a church, just ask someone in the choir who can spread the word until somebody will turn up who has it in their garden.

Jenny Shumaker

Location: Desden, Ohio

I have been trying to locate the name of this shrub for years and am thrilled to have found this web page. I have a lot of childhood memories with this shrub. We used to pretend to make perfume with the flowers. thanks

Cynthia

Location:Coshocton, Oh

For the last 3 months I have been helping my friend Jenny S. find the name of this plant.(June 08) Hey, what are friends for...and yes it is a very highly fragrant shrub. I would like to find one and plant it, Thanks.

Sam

Location:Virginia Beach, VA.

Great shrub,flowers have a wondeful fragrance.
I have had these shrubs for many years, have never seen one damaged by insects. These shrubs are long lived, my mother had one that was at least thirty years old and it still produced flowers, the flowers though were not as fragrant as when the shrub was younger.

Karen

Location:St. Louis, Missouri

I have fond memories of this plant. A Carolina Allspice graced our yard for years and years. The shrub was just outside my bedroom window and the fragrance was heavenly when in bloom. I would love to find one to plant now. I am in St. Louis, Missouri. Anyone know where I can get one to plant?

Dean Walters

Location:Louisville,KY,USA

GREATEST SMELLING PLANT EVER

Katie Swalley

Location:Memphis, TN

I have several in my yard. It is multi-stemmed and the twigs look a bit like a young wild tree, maybe redbud or elm when there are no leaves on them. Notice the very wide, almost ninety-degree angles at which the outermost branches arrange themselves. Old stems from years past die like those of a lilac bush or a snowball bush. Deadwood should be removed and the plant benefits from some pruning. It smells similar to witch hazel, in my opinion. A treasure!

Katie Swalley

Location:Memphis, TN

One more thought about calycanthus: Have those of you who are searching for a plant to purchase tried Missouri Wildflowers? It is an excellent source of native plants !

n/a

Location:n/a

has the sweetest smell of any plant i have ever smelled in my life.

Toni Oyler

Location:Bowie, MD

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n/a

Location:chicagoland

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n/a

Location:St. Louis, MO, USA

This plant does thrive in clay & humidity, but suckers like crazy. My bush's flowers smell more like rotting apples than anything else. Less than happy with the plant besides its vigor.

ashley

Location:south nj

love it i just moved to my new house and the owners before me had planted it. i wish i had two the smell ymmmmm.

Lee Hollimon

Location:Golden,MS USA

One of our best native plants. We have several and they are no trouble to tend. There have been sprngs which I have forgotten to fertilize them and they did splendidly.

n/a

Location:Freeport, Maine

This is a unquie shrub to add to the garden. The leaves are shinny, dark green the flower is small but wonderful, it can flower on and off all season in Maine. I have it were it gets morning sun, well drained soil. Everyone that see's it comments on it.

Tonya

Location:Hurricane, West Virginia

I LOVE this bush! Ours smells [quite strongly] like orange Tang. I would be willing to give cuttings to anyone close enough to harvest them, but I''m not comfortable shipping them. If you know anyone in the area who is into horticulture, we could arrange something. :)

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